Wow.
Of course, there are cases of thefts from checked luggage, but has there been a case of a laptop being stolen at the checkpoint? I mean, you're right there, there are cameras, too.
I think you may be looking for this: http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/pe...d-of-paranoia/

Locking a convertible with the top down makes perfect sense. It locks the trunk, it locks the glove box, locks the gas door, and it deactivates the door handles from the inside on some. It also deactivates the inside releases for all those, so you can't just press the button and open the trunk or gas cap. It won't keep somebody from climbing into the car over the hood or trunk, but it's going to make it much harder for them to do so without being noticed.

But that's a totally unrelated thing.

You would be better with a separation alarm. It's a two piece device, both about the size of a car key remote, you attach one to the laptop and the other you carry or put in the laptop case or your carry on. If somebody should grab the laptop and move it too far away from the other half, both start beeping to let you know it's on the move.

According to this article, 12% of laptop thefts at airport occur during check-in. Statistically small, but still worth taking some simple, reasonable precautions over, instead of saying, "Pffffffffft! That'll never happen to ME!"
http://www.openforum.com/articles/th...r-laptop-theft

Here's a recent one where TSA trumpeted their return of a laptop stolen from a c/p by another pax (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that TSA does not trumpet those cases where a laptop is stolen from a c/p and is not recovered):
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/06...-and-returned/

This article is from 2009, but it says that LAX averaged (at the time) 1200 laptops lost, stolen, or left behind at the c/p, per week. And only 33% of them are recovered, meaning that the other 67% find new homes. Somewhere.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2...00_laptops.php

Oh, and... you're not always "right there." Many times, you're in the NoS, or undergoing a grope, or waiting waiting waiting for somebody to give you a grope, and your belongings are not within your field of view. It only takes a second for someone - TSO or pax - to throw your laptop into their bag and walk off. Bye.

Thanks for your info, @WillCAD.
But the report that said "12% of laptop thefts at airport occur during check-in" was written by the company that sells LoJack for Laptops, and has absolutly no citations to their sources so I highly question their statistics. Don't you know that 90% of statistics are just made up. :)

When traveling without my husband, I always use my TSA-compliant bag that I have a non TSA combination lock to secure it. Will it stop someone from stealing the whole bag….no….but I have bright pink ribbons tied to the bag so it is easy to spot…. my hope is that it will be a little harder to steal.

I don’t know if there is any reliable statistics on stolen laptops….but I sure hear a lot of announcements for people who have left them at the checkpoint.

90% of made up statistics are sometimes correct. :D

On a brighter note at YYC laptops are not required to be out of the bag if one is in the trial lane

Not sure what kind of lock would help with that!

One to keep the brains from falling out? :p

(I actually left my watch at a checkpoint last week as I am not used to removing it. I came back 30 minutes later and the guard called out 'Mickey Mouse!')

Ancient Maestro bought you a gift from his trip to Paris? I'm jealous!

:D It's my gold Disneyland Paris watch which seems to have lasted longer than any other watch I've owned. Mickey keeps on ticking.... and to keep this travel security related, the roving customs inspectors who ask to see our watches at MUC are usually disappointed and move along very quickly indeed.

Locking it to your carry-on would help in some cases, because if you remember your bag, your laptop would have to come along with it.

Of course, if you leave the checkpoint without your entire carry-on bag, then you'd forget your laptop as well...

Isn't this the "Practical" Travel Safety Issues Forum?

I've been through countless airports, many in third world countries while taking my laptop out... just keep an eye on it the best you can and you should be fine.

Setting up something like this would just draw more attention to you and call out to would-be thieves, "hey, look at me, I am going through extraordinary measures to safeguard my belongings... there must be something valuable here!"

I found the port for the lock on my laptop- it is right next to the power cable plug so I probably need a lock that comes off unless it is tiny so i can plug the power cable in.

This was my thoughts. I would "leash" my laptop to the BIG PURPLE carryon rolly bag I use. They have to have me open the rolly bag because I will have a locked strap on it and they will want to inspect the insulated lunch bag of cheese i am bringing to my gramma. (they always do because it is cold)

so if the laptop is attached it will be harder for someone to run off with it because they already will be watching my large bag.

This should give me time to be patted down. I see if someone were trying to leave with my rolly bag- It is quite noticeable- where a small laptop bag might not be.

What do you think?

Sounds perfectly workable. Depending on the type of bag, it might be possible to pre-attach the cable to the laptop and secure the other end to the outside of the bag before you leave home. You can put the laptop inside the bag for the trip to the airport, with the cable sticking out through the zipper. If you do this, you can easily pull the laptop out at the checkpoint and put it in a bin next to the bag, with the cable already attached, instead of having to fumble with the cable while you're already busy getting all of your stuff onto the belt.